Steve Simmons, QMI Agency

His misunderstanding of the market, lack of comprehension of the history of the Maple Leafs, of what Larry Tanenbaum likes to call the “Passion that unites us,” is both disturbing and unnerving.

You can’t erase history, just because the new CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment thinks he can. You can’t change what people feel, what’s inside of them, what they’ve grown up with, their sensibilities. These aren’t blackboards of people’s lives: You can’t just brush them aside easily.

As a kid, I walked into Maple Leaf Gardens and was instantly fascinated by the photos on the wall: The black and white pictures of Whipper Billy Watson, Johnny Bower, George Chuvalo and Frank Mahovlich. It was part of what made the place special. You didn’t have to be at The Beatles concert. You saw it on the wall.